Indiana Hoosiers vs Northwestern Wildcats Matchup

Check out our free Indiana Hoosiers vs Northwestern Wildcats pick and preview for this CFB week 6 game in Evanston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 6 CFB matchup.

Indiana comes into this matchup with a 5-0 record, while Northwestern is 2-2 on the season. The game is set for 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 5th, and will be played at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston. Indiana is the heavy favorite at -13.5 points, and the over/under line is currently at 42.5 points. You can catch this one on BTN.

Hoosiers vs. Wildcats Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Indiana Hoosiers at Northwestern Wildcats
Where: Evanston at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 5th
Betting Odds IND -13.5, IND -638 | NW +439 O/U 42.5

Hoosiers Preview:

Indiana heads into Week 6 against Northwestern with a 5-0 record, sitting at 16th in our power rankings. They are a lock for bowl eligibility and have a 7.2% chance of winning the Big Ten. The Hoosiers also have the 11th best odds to reach the CFB playoff, with a 38.4% chance.

Indiana has been favored in four of their five games and has gone 3-1 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of +35.8 points per game.

The over/under line for this week is 42.5 points, lower than any of their previous games. Indiana’s games have averaged 61.8 points, with an average over/under line of 49.9 points.

Hoosiers Offense Breakdown

Indiana’s offense has been impressive this season, ranking 2nd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 6. They are 3rd in scoring, averaging 48.8 points per game, and have converted 57.4% of their third downs, which is also 3rd best nationally. Kurtis Rourke has thrown for 1,372 yards and has a passer rating of 130.

Rourke has completed 73.2% of his passes, leading Indiana to 11th in passing yards per game with 302.4. He has 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Justice Ellison leads the rushing attack with 341 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. Elijah Sarratt has 378 receiving yards on 22 catches.

Hoosiers Team Defense

Indiana's defense has been solid this season, ranking 16th nationally by allowing just 13 points per game. They’ve been especially tough against the run, giving up only 82.4 rushing yards per game, which ranks 13th in the country. Opposing quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of 72.7 and are completing 61.2% of their passes against Indiana, averaging 157.6 passing yards per game.

In their recent game against Maryland, Indiana’s defense allowed 28 points but held Maryland to 112 rushing yards on 30 attempts. Maryland’s quarterback threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, completing 26 of 41 passes.

Wildcats Preview:

Indiana has been favored in four of their five games and has gone 3-1 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of +35.8 points per game.

The over/under line for this week is 42.5 points, lower than any of their previous games. Indiana’s games have averaged 61.8 points, with an average over/under line of 49.9 points.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Northwestern’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 17.2 points per game, which ranks them 122nd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 6. Their passing game has been particularly weak, with a passer rating of 63, the worst in the nation. They are 115th in passing yards, averaging 158.5 yards per game, and have converted only 27.5% of their third-down attempts.

Mike Wright leads the Wildcats’ passing attack with 354 yards, but he has yet to throw a touchdown pass and has one interception. Cam Porter leads the rushing game with 234 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. A.J. Henning has 229 receiving yards and one touchdown on 25 catches.

Wildcats Team Defense

Northwestern's defense, ranked 14th nationally, has allowed just 15.8 points per game this season. In their recent game against Washington, they gave up 24 points and 521 total yards, including 314 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Despite the rough outing, Northwestern's defense is still 11th in the nation against the run, allowing just 80 rushing yards per game on 27.8 attempts, which ranks 15th fewest in the country.

Hoosiers vs Wildcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, Indiana has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 39 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
Through their last ten home games, Northwestern has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 2-8 while averaging 15 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Northwestern Wildcats have an ATS record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-2.
As the betting favorite, the Indiana Hoosiers have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.